[81 Lives]
“Whew— it’s good to have my lives back. But now, I’m really at my limit. Ah… my head. If only I had talent like Yeon-hee, I wouldn’t be in this much pain.”
Facing two beasts exceeding Lizardmen all at once had me frantically wielding my magic, and now my head felt like it was about to split open.
[Pain Resistance]
A thankful trait that always shares my pain.
Thanks to it, I was able to rest while floating in mid-air.
– …!!
– …!!
Lying still in the air, I could hear conversations among the residents of this world down below.
At first, I wasn’t sure about them, but they bravely fought against the tentacle monster.
Sadly, many of them lost their lives, and a few were in such a state that it was hard to even recognize them due to the venom eating them away.
“I see, they initially retreated quickly because they knew the horror of that monster. It doesn’t seem like it was their first encounter.”
This world isn’t a game-like virtual reality.
Everyone’s life is precious, and sometimes one has to make a cowardly choice.
But they ultimately sacrificed themselves, maintaining their will to protect the citizens, and thus they deserved to be called heroes.
– The Red Knight!!
– The Red Knight protected us!!
– Ugh…! My head hurts… What is this feeling… it reminds me of something I’ve seen before…?
– If that burning knight stays with us, we won’t have to be trapped anymore!
“Last time they called me the Flame Knight, now I’m the Burning Knight.”
Once again, I became intensely recognized by the people of this world. They might even have ridiculous expectations of me, as if I were a savior.
It was inevitable.
After fiercely engaging in aerial battle with those terrifying monsters for several minutes, most people in this special space must have witnessed my efforts without missing a beat.
“What should I do… Last time, the Fragments of a Great Being blocked the gaze of the Blue-eyed one.”
While I was pondering and rubbing my forehead, a voice broke through.
– The great sorcerer ‘Estig Val Vanderor’ who dreamed of immortality. The incredible power of the ark ‘Aetherloa’, created at the cost of everything, blocks the gaze of the watcher!
──?!
“Ooh…! A great sorcerer who dreamed of immortality? I think I’ve seen him in the final form during my job change. Anyway, this ‘Estig’ was quite an admirable figure. Not only did he create this vast space, but he also has the ability to block the gaze of the Blue-eyed one.”
Well, with such power, this place is still safe.
But seeing the ceiling has opened today, it seems that won’t last long.
“Little by little, the broken parts are healing. Truly remarkable.”
As I glanced down, I saw many people looking up at me, startled, as their shoulders trembled slightly.
– ……!!!
“It seems they think I’m too amazing.”
With over ten thousand people likely staring only at me, this was quite a fresh experience.
Among them, many were crossing their arms, lightly tapping their necks, mumbling something.
“Is that some sort of prayer in this world…?”
Since I’m not religious, just witnessing such a sight was hard for me to adapt to, and I wanted to leave that spot immediately.
But I thought I’d wait a few minutes, suspecting that a portal from another dimension might appear.
“Uh, uh there.”
Not long after, a woman approached me while I was floating.
From the wings she wore, she seemed like one of the soldiers who managed to survive against the two fallen monsters, or perhaps she never actually engaged them.
“K-Knight. I really— I really had to thank you, so I took the liberty of approaching you like this. Our citizens of ‘Aetherloa’ will remember you forever. Thank you so much… I-If you need or want anything, just tell me, and I’ll do whatever it takes to get it.”
The woman, who carefully started speaking, was towering at an impressive 2 meters, so I watched her with interest.
“A human from a different dimension than the one I lived in. Thanks to the system, we can communicate. It’s truly amazing… Well, it’s nice to have some fun like this.”
I adjusted my posture and waved my hand lightly. I didn’t need anything, just a signal to indicate I’d like to leave.
But at that moment, a roar erupted from below.
It seemed that the fact I reacted made them happy, even those shedding tears holding onto the deceased soldier.
“They are accustomed to such situations.”
The black whirlpool I expected didn’t appear.
Honestly, I felt a little nervous about having defeated that opponent, and my head hurt, so returning would probably be for the best.
As I nodded downwards, the winged woman trembled slightly and slowly floated down to the ground.
[Stealth]
I concealed myself and moved to a distant spot to observe the ark.
Notable were the unique architectural styles and magical devices that seemed more advanced in some ways than our world.
After looking around enough, I exited the space and returned home.
── Tap.
I saw Yeon-hee still struggling to name her summoned creatures.
“That took less than 30 minutes.”
I didn’t bother to tell her I’d gone somewhere.
She’d definitely notice my life count had increased, and her eyes would sparkle as she’d inquire about what had happened.
“I only need to complete one more job change quest, so at least that’s a relief. I wonder if we can take care of the Evolved Creature organization right away?”
I think I’d have to ask Helen to gather some information on that side.
To defeat the ‘Grim Reaper’ known as the great evil Hwang Tae-wook, I have to look for gaps when S-rank Hunters aren’t around.
“I’m still hesitant about clashing with the S-rank Hunters. I feel like I could manage against Hwang Tae-wook and that female sorcerer, but…”
My body was itching to hunt down the trash soon.
Thud—
I collapsed onto the floor and gazed up at the sky.
I want to rest…
But before I knew it, I found myself manufacturing Skeleton Bombs.
“I can’t even stop myself… I’m addicted to work even after becoming a skeleton.”
The bones from the Lizardman I faced during the job change quest and Mostalia’s were sure to make excellent bomb materials, so I eagerly began the crafting process.
* * *
At the headquarters of the Ilseom Guild.
A general meeting was held with all the key guild members present.
“How could our guild’s precious two assets collapse at once! What the heck is going on?!”
While we thought the guild’s fame would skyrocket with the subjugation of the Great Beast Devouring Creeper, the opposite result had emerged.
“To say collapsed is an exaggeration. Hyun Il-hwan is already recovering and getting ready for action—”
“His aura is different! The aura he had, which seemed like he could overcome any enemy, has vanished!”
“Indeed… that’s the unique feeling you get from someone whose spirit has been broken—”
“Hey! Stop speaking such unlucky words!”
“Isn’t it true? I heard he wet his pants after facing the Great Beast.”
“Elder! Please restrain your comments!”
“W-What?! You just became an elder and already you’re arrogant!”
“Alright— everyone just calm down—”
The factions attempting to endorse Hyun Il-hwan as the next guild leader were clashing sharply with opposing forces.
Control of key personnel, including the management of hidden dungeons, is a unique right of the guild master.
Depending on who becomes the guild master, those who chose the wrong side might end up regretting it.
Thus, those on Il-hwan’s side were trying to break through this negative atmosphere, yet they too were regretful that Il-hwan had only played a supporting role in this subjugation.
Who could have predicted that the Escalon produced by the Great Beast would become their greatest foe?
“What about the youngest disciple?”
“…He might not be able to wield his sword again.”
“W-What?!”
Still, Hyun Il-hwan was in a better position.
Hyun Woo-seok returned almost as an invalid and was now holed up in a room, just munching on food and chuckling to himself.
And there was someone watching this situation carefully.
“This might be an opportunity for me, but I didn’t want it to come this early.”
Hyun Il-hwan’s brother, Hyun Yi-hwan.
He always wanted to surpass his talented brother but felt flustered by the opportunity arriving so unexpectedly.
“It’s a time when father should be keeping the balance, yet…!”
Hyun Joong-gil, the pinnacle of the Ilseom Guild, was focused on healing himself in his own space after suffering injuries during the subjugation of the Great Beast ‘Deskrull’.
More accurately, he was injured by mysterious entities, not by the Great Beast.
He was a humanoid monster that had lost his eyes.
It was only known that they had done something, but nobody knew exactly what had occurred.
“I can’t understand how our guild, which played a significant role in subduing two Great Beasts, has become the subject of ridicule. This is exactly why I said we should expand and establish connections with the media to strengthen our voice…”
“There’s no use thinking about it now. Let’s look ahead.”
“How should we deal with this? Especially with the hidden dungeon in such a state…”
“Has there been any information about the ones who struck the hidden dungeon?”
“That… is under investigation, but it happened so suddenly.”
“The gate will collapse soon. We need to come up with a plan—”
As Jo Gi-man’s clone, transformed into a two-headed dragon, unleashed its breath, the unprecedented situation of a dungeon break would occur at the Ilseom guild’s headquarters.
“Hah—”
“Ugh…”
The anxiety of the elders of the Ilseom Guild, who had lost their main forces for the time being, deepened.
* * *
The next day, we went to the blacksmith to request equipment made from the materials obtained from the Great Beast subjugation.
Kuwu—!!
“Ungh… Gurgle! W-What is this?!”
The blacksmith was so astonished by the remains of the Devouring Creeper dropped in front of the forge that he could hardly speak.
“Please take good care of it. Even if it’s a wood type, it’s so tough that it can work better than most materials.”
“Y-Yeah! Whatever you make with this will be a masterpiece!”
“Whoa—! Top-notch materials already make my heart race.”
The blacksmith and his buddies started trembling as they touched the materials.
And beside them were the summoned creatures wearing the armor and weapons we had ordered last time.
“Ugh—”
“Churak!!”
“Thanks to Yeon-hee being able to merge monsters, we’ve saved on costs and time for equipment crafting. This is very helpful.”
Bang bang—!
Dotti and Lizardman 1 were smiling satisfactorily while holding a three-meter-wide round shield.
“Haha… When I ordered that shield from Hunter Yeon-hee, I wondered if any warrior would be able to use it properly. I was short-sighted.”
“Hehe… I told you I could.”
“I can’t wait to see that massive shield sweep away the Orcs.”
While there were a few summoned creatures that fought barehanded like Rakan, now most of them were equipped with proper weapons.
And in my hands was a pure white great sword.
=====
The Great Sword of the Gray Artisan
– A work of a blacksmith who has just begun to gain fame. Created from extremely rare materials and budding talent, this great sword boasts high performance.
– Attack Power: 377
– Durability: 3500/3500
– Magic Power: +200
– Enhancement Count: 0/7
– Durability can be restored using bones.
=====
“Haha, I’ve never heard of recovering durability using bones before. What a delightful creation!”
“Indeed… Moreover, the attack power and durability have risen nearly threefold. If I can restore durability with bones, it’s practically infinite durability.”
It was a blacksmith’s creation made by mixing the great sword I created from my bones with the Ancient Rare Crystal and Kadinite.
Whoosh—
“The feel of it in my hand is something special. I like it.”
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